Condylar erosion and disc displacement: detection with high-resolution ultrasonography.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to determine the feasibility of high-resolution sonography for the detection of condylar erosion and associated disc displacement at the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condyle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight consecutive patients (96 joints) with TMJ disorders were investigated prospectively using a 12.5-MHz array transducer. Images were assessed for condylar erosion and disc displacements. Sonographic findings were correlated with those of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: At MRI, 18 osseous changes were diagnosed with condylar erosion. Sonographically, 15 of the 18 condylar erosions were diagnosed correctly. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of sonography in the depiction of condylar erosion were 83%, 63%, and 67%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 34%, and the negative predictive value was 94%. Disc displacement without reduction (43 of 96) and disc displacement without reduction concomitant with condylar erosion (16 of 96) were detected with an accuracy of 93% and 80%. CONCLUSION: Sonography is an insufficient imaging technique for the detection of condylar erosion. Assessment of disc displacement without reduction may be reliably made with sonography.

Magnetic resonance imaging predictors of temporomandibular joint pain.

BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a study to evaluate whether temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, disorder subgroups are related to magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, diagnoses of TMJ internal derangement, or ID; osteoarthrosis, or OA; effusion; and bone marrow edema. METHODS: The TMJ disorder group was composed of 118 subjects with TMJ pain who were assigned a clinical unilateral single diagnosis of a specific TMJ disorder. The control group consisted of 46 subjects who did not have TMJ pain. Sagittal and coronal magnetic resonance images were obtained to establish the prevalence of ID, OA, effusion and bone marrow edema. The authors used a multiple logistic regression analysis to compute the odds ratios, or OR, for MRI features for control subjects versus four groups of subjects who had TMJ pain: ID type I (n = 35), ID type III (n = 39), capsulitis/synovitis (n = 26) and degenerative joint disease, or DJD, (n = 18). RESULTS: MRI diagnoses that did not contribute to the risk of TMJ pain included disk displacement, or DD, with reduction and effusion. Significant increases in the risk of experiencing TMJ pain occurred selectively with DD without reduction (OR = 10.2:1; P = .007) and bone marrow edema (OR = 15.6:1, P = .003) for the ID type III group and with DD without reduction (OR = 11.7:1, P = .054) for the DJD group. Subjects in the group with ID type I were less likely to be associated with an MRI finding of OA than were control subjects (OR = 1:5.6). CONCLUSIONS: While the contribution of MRI variables to the TMJ pain subgroups was not zero, most of the variation in each TMJ pain population was not explained by MRI parameters. Thus, MRI diagnoses may not be considered the unique or dominant factor in defining TMJ disorder populations. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Therapy for subjects with TMJ based on the evaluation of concomitant morphological abnormalities, whether prophylactically or as treatment for TMJ disorders, may be unwarranted.

Relative odds of temporomandibular joint pain as a function of magnetic resonance imaging findings of internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, effusion, and bone marrow edema.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether common magnetic resonance (MR) imaging variables such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, effusion, and bone marrow edema are predictive of the presence of TMJ pain. STUDY DESIGN: The relationship between TMJ pain and TMJ internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, effusion, and bone marrow edema was analyzed in MR images of 338 TMJs in 169 patients with a clinical diagnosis of TMJ pain and dysfunction. Criteria for including a patient with TMJ pain were a report of orofacial pain referred to the TMJ, with the presence of unilateral or bilateral TMJ pain during palpation, function, or unassisted or assisted mandibular opening. The criteria for including a patient with no pain were the absence of TMJ pain during palpation, function, and unassisted or assisted mandibular opening. Application of the criteria resulted in a study group of 129 patients with unilateral TMJ pain, 18 with bilateral TMJ pain, and 22 without TMJ pain. Bilateral sagittal and coronal MR images were obtained to establish the presence or absence of TMJ internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, effusion, and bone marrow edema. Logistic regression analysis was used to compute the odds ratios for internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, effusion, and bone marrow edema for nonpainful TMJs (n = 173) versus painful TMJs (n = 165). RESULTS: For pairwise comparison, the chi(2) test was used; the resultant data showed a significant relationship between the clinical findings of TMJ pain and the MR imaging diagnoses of internal derangement (P =.000), osteoarthrosis (P =.015), effusion (P =.002), and bone marrow edema (P =.016). Of the MR imaging variables considered simultaneously in multiple logistic regression analysis, osteoarthrosis (P =.405), effusion (P =.131), and bone marrow edema (P =.231) dropped out as nonsignificant in the diagnostic TMJ pain group in comparison with the TMJ no-pain group. Significant increases in risk of TMJ pain occurred with disk displacement without reduction in combination with osteoarthrosis and bone marrow edema (3.7:1 odds ratio; P =.000) and with disk displacement without reduction in combination with osteoarthrosis and effusion (2.8:1 odds ratio; P =.000). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that TMJ pain is related to internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, effusion, and bone marrow edema. However, the data reemphasize that these MR imaging variables may not be regarded as the unique and dominant factors in defining TMJ pain occurrence.

Orbital floor reconstruction with flexible Ethisorb patches: a retrospective long-term follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether a flexible, biodegradable material (Ethisorb) shows better long-term results with regard to diplopia, bulbus motility, and exophthalmos/enophthalmos compared to the use of lyophilized dura-patches and polydioxanone (PDS) foils. METHODS: During a period of 6 years 435 patients with an orbital fracture were investigated retrospectively. Inclusion criteria were patients with fractures of the orbital floor with a maximum size of 2 x 2 cm. Bulbus motility, exophthalmos, enophthalmos, and diplopia were investigated during a period of 2 years. RESULTS: One hundred twenty orbital floors were reconstructed by lyophilized dura-patches, 81 by PDS, and 136 by Ethisorb. An exploration without an implantation was performed in 91 patients. The long-term investigation 12 to 15 months after surgery showed an exophthalmos and enophthalmos incidence of 1%, whereas a reduced bulbus motility and diplopia were found in 5% and 4%, respectively. Fifteen to 24 months after surgery 2% of the patients had an exophthalmos and 1% had an enophthalmos. A reduction of bulbus motility was found in 4% of the patients, and diplopia was found in 3%. The use of Ethisorb resulted in a significantly lower incidence of exophthalmos 3 months after surgery compared to PDS. CONCLUSION: The low rate of acquired bulbus motility demonstrates acceptable results in using Ethisorb in the floor of the orbit.

Bone marrow edema of the mandibular condyle related to internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, and joint effusion.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate whether common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) variables such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, and effusion may predict the diagnostic group of bone marrow edema of the mandibular condyle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The relationship between bone marrow edema and TMJ disc displacement, osteoarthrosis, and effusion was analyzed in MRIs of 120 TMJs in 73 consecutive patients with TMJ pain and/or a clinical diagnosis of TMJ internal derangement type III (disc displacement without reduction). The diagnostic bone marrow edema group was comprised of 54 TMJs in 40 patients with a unilateral or bilateral MRI diagnosis of bone marrow edema. The control group consisted of 66 non-bone marrow edema TMJs in 33 patients with a bilateral MRI finding of an absence of bone marrow edema. A logistic regression analysis was used to compute the odds ratios for internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, and effusion for non-bone marrow edema TMJs (n = 66) versus TMJs with bone marrow edema (n = 54). RESULTS: Using Chi;(2) analysis for pair-wise comparison, the TMJ-related data showed a significant relationship between the MR imaging findings of TMJ bone marrow edema and those of internal derangement (P = .000), osteoarthrosis (P = .000), and effusion (P = .010). Of the MRI variables considered simultaneously in the multiple logistic regression analysis, osteoarthrosis (P = .107) and effusion (P = .102) dropped out as nonsignificant in the diagnostic bone marrow edema group when compared with the control group. The odds ratio for individuals with an internal derangement showing bone marrow edema was strong (3.6:1) and highly significant (P = .000). Significant increases in risk of bone marrow edema occurred with disc displacement without reduction and osteoarthrosis (9.2:1) (P = .000) and disc displacement without reduction and effusion (6.4:1) (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the MR imaging findings for TMJ bone marrow edema are related to those of internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, and effusion. However, the data re-emphasize the aspect that internal derangement, osteoarthrosis, and effusion may not be regarded as the unique and dominant factors in defining TMJ bone marrow edema instances.

Comparing methods for diagnosing temporomandibular joint disk displacement without reduction.

BACKGROUND: Research is needed to assess the validity of the Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders, or CDC/TMD. The authors conducted a prospective, double-blind study to determine whether applying the specific CDC/TMD diagnosis of TMJ internal derangement, or ID, type III would demonstrate good agreement with diagnoses obtained by MRI. METHODS: The study comprised 138 TMJs in 69 subjects who had a clinical diagnosis of unilateral TMJ ID type III (disk displacement without reduction). The authors obtained bilateral sagittal and coronal MRIs to establish the corresponding diagnosis of disk-condyle relationship. RESULTS: For the CDC/TMD interpretations, the positive predictive value of ID type III for disk displacement without reduction was 86 percent, and for the presence of an ID it was 91 percent. The overall diagnostic agreement for ID type III was 78.3 percent with a corresponding K value of 0.57. Most of the disagreement was due to false-positive interpretations of an absence of ID. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that using CDC/TMD for ID type III is predictive for the presence of an ID but is not sufficiently reliable for determining disk displacement without reduction. Parameters other than the functional disk-condyle relationship may need to be addressed to account for the biological plausibility of this entity. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: A clinical TMJ-related diagnosis of ID type III may need to be supplemented by evidence from an MRI to determine the functional disk-condyle relationship. Investigation of longitudinal evidence, including risk factors, history and response to treatment, appears to be warranted.